Lately I have been taking more notice of workshops than actual projects and have acclimatised myself to getting canned for my choice of Fe$tool.
I no longer have this issue (about to be revealed), as I have upgraded all my shop vacs to the Fe$tool offering when the eventually passed up to that workshop in the sky... or was it down to Simm's Scrap Metal. Nevertheless, I have noticed a proliferation of the cheaper branded vacs being domiciled in many workshops whose owners may benefit from this tip.
If you suffer more snags than us Aussies at our famous Saturday’s sausage sizzle at Bunning's,
where the greatest debate facing this nations is whether the onions go under or over the sausage… read on.
The better vacs have close-knit ribs on their hose while the cheaper ones have rasp like serrations that play ghostly tunes as you drag them over a sharp edge like the side of a workbench or the crisp and fragile edge of a newly crafted cabinet's side. It not only makes an eerie sound, it also hinders attempted operations like smooth sanding.
Hopefully this hint helps you lighten that dragging feeling.
I previously published this on another forum back on 19th. September, 2021… so it’s quite recent and hopefully just as handy.
If you don't suck in your workshop then you need not read any further, however, if you occasionally get that sucker snagged on a sharp corner, this little snippet may be of use.
Unless you own a fancy Fe$tool vac with the expensive anti-static non-ribbed hose (top hose)
or duct your hose overhead, you may find you often snag the ribbing of the hose on sharp edges.
I feed the hoses I use on the end of dust generating tools through a 40mm flexible sleeve
to create a smooth surface that will glide smoothly over sharp edges.
I have both 25mm and 40mm sleeves.
Unfortunately I bought my supply over 5 years ago and the WEB site no longer puts its hand up during a roll call, so I cannot recommend any honest/reliable suppliers.
Nevertheless you may find a supplier if you Google, "40mm pet expandable sleeving" (you can leave the pet at home).
Just watch what is on offer as some only sell in 1 or 2 meter lengths… having said that, you may choose to only cover the working end of the hose in which case shorter lengths may suffice.
As all 2 ½" hoses are never the same diameter, here is a to a chart
(click on this link if you can't read it, right click if you can, but that'll do nothing other than bring up a useless drop-down) that you can use to determine what you may need for your workshop… take note of the "Expandable Range" column.
I chucked together this video that's more like a dogs breakfast and should be hosed down.
Keep safe, jocks... and your jocks, safe!
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
Fair call pottzy... Because I drink, I'm only a semi-overhead guy.... while most of my stuff is "suspended", being short (4' 15.5"), I still managed to catch the ribbed hose... the longer it is the more opportunity for Murphy to intervene.
OK... Like that ancient TV show "You asked for it"... I am hedging towards migrating my tip for a core set of suspenders in the workshop (Dis_CORD in the workshop).
Note to all: The sleeve is all but useless on hoses like our Rocklerflexible hose. The sleeve stretches latitudinally, but bugger all give longitudinally.
Definitely would look much better as the frayed ends on mine didn't like heat sealing... a 6' sleeve finished up 6" as it continually shriveled up... maybe I should have use a heat gun instead of a torch.
I thought I duct taped the frayed ends, but just checked and they're still as fuzzy as my hair in the morning. Unfortunately the biggest heat shrink wrap readily available here in Aussieland is 1" and I don't have an unshrink gun.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
Don’t know if you can get it down under but this is the tubing I used:
XHF 2 Inch (50mm) 3:1 Waterproof Heat Shrink Tubing Marine Grade Wire Cable Adhesive Lined Tube Insulation Seal Against Moisture Corrosion and Air Leakage, 4 Ft Red https://a.co/69W1qhb
And here is the heat gun:
Hangar 9 Heat Gun HAN100 Hand Tools Misc https://a.co/cLC1MsC
Ryobi, bought when they first came out as I have BATTERIES! Comes with 4 different nozzles, of which 3 I've never used. Could have used a few more °C, max 460... Suppose it suits my purposes though it may take a tad longer to keep squeezing that trigger.
The no cord is an absolute bonus to me... When it comes to corded tools, I always picture that TV ad of a lady struggling up some stairs with a recalcitrant vacuum cleaner... and I'm on the flat!
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
Bluey(s) I can do without... get enough from SWMBO... as for gidgee, it's more expensive than Fe$tool or Woodpecker$... all the good stuff is exported and we get the crap. Premium grade cost more locally than overseas. During my hayday of pen making, Aussie burls were cheaper from Berea Hardwoods & PSI than locally. The only good thing was that the price gouging was seasonal rather than all year.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
Aha! THAT is why my friend didn’t bring me back any choice Aussie woods when he came back from visiting his family. Would have loved some Gidgee (or Waddy). Guess HNT Gordon has a lock on the food stuff.
